""Digitization is very much a priority, considering how ephemeral this format is. There's not as much information available about the history of women, and women of color in particular. There's a risk of it being lost.""
"The Schlesinger, which collects materials related to the lives of American women, holds about 5,000 VHS tapes. According to Donovan, only about a quarter of the collection is available digitally."
VHS, launched in 1976, became the dominant video format, enabling amateur filmmaking and home movie collections. Harvard curators recognized its value, amassing tens of thousands of VHS tapes. However, after 50 years, VHS technology is nearly obsolete, with magnetic tape degrading over time. Archivists like Joanne Donovan emphasize the urgency of digitization to preserve historical content, particularly regarding women and women of color. The Schlesinger Library holds about 5,000 VHS tapes, with only a quarter digitized, highlighting the risk of losing valuable information.
Read at Harvard Gazette
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